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Abandoned (2016)
PLEASE renew this series!
The entire tone of this tragically-too-short series was absolutely magical. Rick's interactions with the locals were beautiful and often bitterly genuine. When combined with the magnificent camera work, scoring, editing, and overall direction this became a show that grabbed you and took you on a wonderful and deeply-compelling journey to places you've never seen or heard of. Rick's skating abilities, and the laid-back attitude he brought from that upbringing, oftentimes helped to relax and open up the people he'd stumble across while exploring, which made for some fascinating character studies. If anyone with any pull reads this and feels the same, PLEASE CONSIDER BRINGING THIS GREAT SERIES BACK.
I Am: Celine Dion (2024)
Horribly hard to watch, but a very well-made documentary
Life is often full of cruel and ironic horrors. Piano players losing fingers, drummers losing arms, painters going blind, swimmers losing legs, etc. This is the incredibly sad story of one of the finest singing voices on the planet losing her voice (amongst other bodily breakdowns caused by SBS). If anyone enjoyed singing for her fans more than Celine I don't know who they are. It was her life, her meaning, her purpose in life. To have all of that ripped from her at barely 50 years old seems beyond vicious, but this documentary shows her strength of character, her resilience, her sense of humor, and her "humaness". Before watching this I, like many others I'm sure, found her somewhat standoffish or distant, but I'm now convinced all of that came from her being surprisingly bashful and/or uncomfortable around fans. Celine is a wonderfully warm and loving, and quite "normal" (whatever that means) human being who's been dealt a terrible hand in life. As stated, this is very hard to watch without shedding a few tears, but it was masterfully made. Whether you're a fan of her music or not, this offers a brilliant insight into the woman, the disease, and the ability of strong people to survive with a smile.
Trigger Warning (2024)
Jessica, you're pretty but...
Firstly, Jessica is 43 in this movie. I'm not one to age-bash, but a super-bad-ass, mom-aged killing machine that can take down multiple gun-toting baddies at a time using nothing but a knife and some cool ninja moves? Okie dokie, I can suspend logic when it comes to butt-kicking, action-packed flicks, but then comes the acting. Jessica is a beautiful and seemingly wonderful person, but I have so much trouble trying to feel immersed in any of the characters she's played.
Moving on, the movie is insanely dark during far too many scenes, the score is boring and doesn't seem to match up with, or add to the emotions of, the on-screen action, and the supporting characters don't bring enough depth to help cover the lack of Jessica's acting chops.
If you have 90 minutes to spare and enjoy watching a very pretty - and slightly mature - woman destroy a lot of bad guys go for it, but don't expect much.
The Queen's Gambit (2020)
TV at its very best.
You can tell when a movie or TV series is not just good but spectacular. It stays with you, it haunts you. You don't want it to end. That was my reaction after I watched all seven segments of Netflix's "Queen's Gambit". The protagonist, young chess genius Beth Harmon, became very real and I wished to know more about this commanding character with the intense eyes.
The series was anchored by the magnetic lead performance (a remarkable Anya Taylor-Joy) and bolstered by world-class acting, marvelous visual language, a teleplay that's never less than gripping, and an admirable willingness to embrace contradiction and ambiguity. It is certainly one of the best series to ever appear on TV.
Much of the story hinges on when and how Beth is alone - and sometimes she's most alone when surrounded by people - and Taylor-Joy's performance is particularly remarkable in these moments. Scenes of Beth alone in her home, in a stranger's apartment, on a plane, in her bed at night - each hums with the kind of energy that only arises when one is truly unobserved. Silence requires high-caliber acting that is seldom seen. You experience the wide range of emotions that pass across her face without being conscious of any effort on her part. She can be magnetic with no dialog. Taylor-Joy becomes Beth Harmon and "acting" becomes invisible. She's never better than when Beth is sitting silent behind a chess board.
But it would be a mistake to assume that Taylor-Joy's only great scene partner is the camera. The great character actor Bill Camp is a crusty school janitor who introduces Beth to chess. Moses Ingram who portrays her friend, the likable Jolene, is very memorable. There's not a dud in the bunch; even the actors who show up for a scene or two at most give performances that feel fully inhabited. It's a stunner of an ensemble
I have a minor quibble involving the somewhat unsatisfying ending. I'll let you decide. But, frankly, it is hard to get worked up about any shortcomings with drama this good. Let's talk about the chess! Like any good sports movies (which this sorta is) this character-driven series lives and dies by its editing. The chess sequences are truly electric. Some make you hold your breath. Some are funny. And, no, you do not have to play the game to enjoy.
Do see this series. It is beautifully made and intelligently written. It is TV at its very best.
Old (2021)
Yet another M. Night disappointment
When will the movie-watching public realize that Sixth Sense wasn't a great movie but just another clever, trick-ending shocker? The only reason M. Night gets the accolades for that one was for the final 10 minute twist, nothing more. Here we have nothing more than another effort at edgy, weird, mind-bending strangeness. But what we're supposed to find as ingenious as Sixth Sense ends up feeling ridiculous and poorly-presented. Terrible acting, disjointed writing, and the pacing of a snail. Save your two hours for something more rewarding.
My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman (2018)
Dave was and still is the best. Great series.
Such a great interview/talk show. It's so good to see Dave back doing what he does best. His ability to use humor and honesty to put people at ease is delightful and engaging. He can take the most uptight, self-obsessed celebrity and almost immediately bring them down to earth with the rest of us. Dave has aged beautifully. Highly-recommended show. ππΌπ―
Line of Duty (2019)
Action, yes. Logic, no.
Is this a comedy? Is it a buddy cop action flick? Can anybody aim a gun worth a crap? So contrived that it becomes a silly, but somehow fun, escape. The dialog can't decide whether it's humorous or serious. All I know is Eckhart sure can take a beating, and I want the phone battery Ava is using. π³
White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch (2022)
So when do we get to see the racism behind FUBU...? Just sayin'. π€
A company that openly admits who its targeted audience is. What a concept. Sorry Netflix and the producers of this effort, your show made me suddenly want to buy A&F products.
Blown Away (2019)
Season two is much more fun.
Don't let season one (or its bitter winner) turn you off. The contestants in season two are more fun, more humble, have better comaraderie, and, in my completely uneducated opinion, more talented. Really impressive artists and very fun to watch.